Eagle Farm races: Apprentice Madeleine Wishart notches maiden city winner on Naval Strike

Madeleine Wishart notched her maiden city winner and put a dent in the reputation of the highly rated Profit when she rode Naval Strike to an upset victory at Eagle Farm.

Trainer Rob Heathcote. Picture: Tara Croser.

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Madeleine Wishart notched her maiden city winner and put a dent in the reputation of the highly rated Profit when she landed Naval Strike a big-priced winner at Eagle Farm.

Wishart had come close a few times, most notably on the Kevin Kemp-trained In Your Element, so fittingly it was Kemp who provided her with Saturday’s breakthrough winner.

Naval Strike is raced by Paul Reedy and his family and Kemp’s wife Judy.

Kemp said Reedy had been a big supporter of Wishart and he was thrilled to see her win on Naval Strike.

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Madeleine Wishart rode her first city winners at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Picture: Trackside Photography

“He was very good two starts back then got stuck on the inside last time. The only instructions we gave Maddy was to make her run wide on the track,” Kemp said.

The 22-year-old had no problem following those instructions, with Naval Strike wanting to drift right out in the straight.

“It’s a great feeling, especially to ride for Kempy, he’s helped me out the whole way through,” Wishart said. “I followed the favourite and got to the top of the straight … he got to the front and started wobbling around the place. He didn’t know what was going on.”

Wishart is now apprenticed to Tina Cotiopoulos after spending plenty of time on the country circuit, most notably at Roma (13 wins) before making a name for herself in Toowoomba.

“I was (in the country) for a year and a half, everyone was pushing me and eventually I came to the provincials and now I’m in the city,” she said.

Emerald Kingdom ticked off the Eagle Farm 1200m box on Saturday and is now likely to be tested at 1400m in Open company in a fortnight.

The Rob Heathcote-trained five-year-old made it five wins on end when leading throughout under Robbie Fradd.

Rob Heathcote’s Emerald Kingdom notched his fifth straight win on Saturday at Eagle Farm. Picture: Tara Croser

Heathcote said he doesn’t think Emerald Kingdom is yet up to stakes grade, but “he’s improving all the time and all we can do is keep lifting the bar a little higher and at the moment he’s handling every test”.

“He just does a few too many things wrong at this stage to be considered a stakes horse, but Robbie likens him a lot to Deep Image, so we probably still haven’t seen the best of him yet,” he said.

Akage has turned a “what if” campaign from last time around into an $85,000 windfall this time around after being given a brilliant ride by Baylee Nothdurft to win the One Metro Win This Season Handicap (1600m).

Akage finished top four in nine of her 11 starts last time without winning. She was sent for a break after her October 12 run, where she beaten by the smallest margin, before dislodging the jockey and then sliding under the running rail.

Trainer Brian Crowley said she took no harm from that incident, but decided to give her a break and after a bit of work from the chiropractor, she’s come back better than ever.

“She’s just travelling a lot better in her races now and Baylee could win on anything at the moment the way he’s riding,” Crowley said.

Nothdurft showed life after losing his claim is just the same as before with a winning double competing on level footing with the seniors yesterday. He also won on Violet.